


Meet the Parents

by KangKorandKoloth



Series: A Series of Firsts [6]
Category: Bleach
Genre: AU, Dialogue Heavy, Don't Like Don't Read, F/M, Fluffy, Gift Fic, Happy, Meet the Family, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, a scene with little to no plot, and a little angsty, ignores TYBW arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 05:19:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16591577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KangKorandKoloth/pseuds/KangKorandKoloth
Summary: In a AU where Kyoraku has living family, a meet the parents senario for Shunsui and Nanao. Ignores the TYBW arc completely and utterly, so please keep in mind while reading.





	Meet the Parents

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nekno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nekno/gifts).



> Hi there, it's been upwards of three years - I can explain 
> 
> I've been rp'ing and as my style is pretty multi para heading well into Novela, it takes up all my writing time. I have also started college with a view to going to uni next year, which is also keeping me busy. So yeah, that's it. 
> 
> This fic was something I started long before the Lille fight hence why it's so AU to backstory we got for Shunsui. I have chosen to finish this off now after going through my drafts and getting some feedback from Nekno. This fic is for them and my way of showing my appreciation.   
> I also thought it would be nice, after all the loss and sadness we got in Shunsui's back story in the last arc it might be nice for him to have something a little mundane and happier. Basically, this ingores EVERYHTING from the final arc and takes a lot of liberties with Shunsui's brother's relationship with his wife and gives them a few kids, a set of twins and a son. Please keep this in mind as you read this fic. 
> 
> Finally, as a slightly depressing sidenote. Look, I'm fully aware of the ambigous state Kubo left these two in and it really, really sucks - one badly worded sentence created so much confusion. My personal opinion is that they're not related, because the timeline would make even less sense than it normally does when it comes aging if they were. Having them as uncle and neice also makes a lot of Shunsui's past beheaviour feel very out of character to the man we see in the manga to me and I'm not prepared to accept that kind of extreme character shift as just lazy writing Kubo's part. I have seen the arguments for and against, weighed them up and stand by my opinion. If you don't like this, I kindly suggest you avoid my work as I am not prepared to entertain a debate on the matter and will be ignoring any comments that try to draw me into one. 
> 
> With all that said though, for those of who you here because you like the pairing, please enjoy this out of the blue addition :) It was an absolute delight to finish off something for someone who was kind enough to say how much they liked my writing and if the demand's out there I might well finish off some more WIPs.

The couch had never seemed so welcoming. First through the door, Nanao flopped down onto it, the ache in her feet mercifully dissipating as she settled herself, the formal shoes which had pinched at her feet flung off in a self-dictated act of mercy. It had been an interesting night, and as far as she was concerned could have gone so much worse. The man who now sat beside her, slumping down into the cushions with force, looked like he’d disagree, starring down into his lap, pinching at the bridge of his nose as if he’d just endured something painful, eyes half closed.

She wanted tea, the rich food and alcohol had made her head muggy. She needed to clear her palate. She needed time to process too, time to think. She thought he needed the same.

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze not turning to look at her, staring forward terse and pensive. For a few minutes they sat in silence, she moving in closer to lean against his arm, wanting him nearby, he looked like he needed it.

“So that’s that then. I feel I should be apologising for subjecting you to the experience”

His words were like a bolt from the blue, capturing her attention, his voice defeated, almost sad. He’d never sounded defeated, not in all the years she’d known him.

“It really wasn’t that bad,” she consoled “You have a wonderful family”

“Really?” he didn’t believe her; to be honest she wasn’t sure if she believed the entirety of the statement

“It was good of them to be so accepting of an outsider on such a big occasion for your brother”

“Accepting? Were we at the same dinner?”

“On the whole I found them-,” she paused searching for the right word, finding he sentence cut short as Shunsui cut across her, ticking off qualities on his fingers.

“Elitist, narrow minded, downright rude at times?”

“No, no, no”, she hushed him, trying to sooth shattered nerves, rattled to see how easily this character assassination feel from his lips when it came to the ones who’s raised him.  She let out a sigh, taking stock and trying again,

“Your mother was nice.”

That was true enough, the woman had seemed more than happy to welcome her younger son’s partner into the fold.

“A bit obsessed with your age though; don’t you think Nanao-chan?”

“She wants the best for her son” she countered, almost determined to find good in the evening, to neutralise the faults he found and prove it could have been worse.

“I know you’re trying to be nice, there’s really no need to be. I know what they’re like I grew up with them remember?”

“Ok, I’ll concede there was no need for her to keep on about how old we both were when we first met, once would have been enough”

“and the questions about children…”

With that, he had a point, although not unexpected the topic had thrown her somewhat, never seeing herself as the maternal sort. If anything it was something she saw way off in the distance. Her answer would require tact, the last thing she wanted to do was make a sad situation worse.

“Fair enough, it set me on edge a bit,” suddenly catching the look on his face, she added hastily “N-No offence, it’s not that I wouldn’t want-“

He stroked her hair, fingers clinking through the new hair pin bought specially for the occasion and an older accessory, a few flowers that matched the russet of her kimono, tugging them out placing them on the coffee table, cradling her head for a few moments more.

“It’s okay, relax, none taken. If she hadn’t mentioned it then I doubt either of us would have given that topic a single thought for a while yet”

“I take it she’d like some more grandchildren then?”

“Most likely, my nephew and the twins are pretty much full grown now, I think she quite likes having the younger ones about to spoil.”

He was more matter of fact than she was about it, but the unasked question lingered like a bad smell for as long as it took for him to finish with her hair and coax her a fraction closer. They both knew what the natural follow on was, but neither of them seemed to want to address it. The silence dragged into awkwardness, broken only by cough and a hasty change of subject.

“It still wasn’t as bad as you’re making out though”

The reiteration that made pulled them back to square one. Nanao minimising and downplaying every fault and problem Shunsui could throw at her.

“How about what my brother said?”

“He asked who my parents were, that’s hardly the crime of the century”

“You know full well why he was asking” 

“Then that’s his problem then isn’t it?” She pouted, feeling a little daring at not caring what the head of a high ranking noble family had said. There was no need for Shunsui to know that comment had cut like a knife as had the condescending stares at the answer supplied.

“I saw the look in your eyes, no-one should make you feel like that”

“You had it worse”

“That’s not the point I’m used to it”

An impasse reached with no solution in sight, Nano let it drop, both of them retreating into their own thoughts for a while. There was healing in silence and Nanao thought she felt his mood lift, things feeling somewhere next to normal. The evening already becoming a memory best kept as a bizarre anecdote nothing more. Long may it remain that way, she thought, offering up a silent prayer that another invitation would be a very long time in the issuing. With that in mind, she wriggled away and rose from her seat, smoothing out her kimono, thirst overcoming her.  

“Wait here, I’ll get us something to drink, tea perhaps?”

“Do you have anything stronger?”

“I think we’ve both had enough, I’ll be sick if I don’t having something lighter”

“Speak for yourself”

He managed a short bark of laughter, Nanao found the sound encouraging. His melancholy had made her uneasy, it cast him under a cloud that she didn’t know how to ease. At least a smile could be worked on, and at least offered a glimpse of the man she knew and loved. Heading toward the small burner she kept in the corner, she rooted through the cupboard next to it, drawing out tea leaves for the pot, coming up empty on sake. Adding water, she stuck the kettle on to boil and waited.

“You looked beautiful tonight”

He’d looked up, watching her work as he so often did, normally glancing from under the hat from the other side of her office as she piled through ledgers and papers, acting the innocent once she caught him. Tonight he had a clear view, hat and kimono ditched in favour of finer silks, stiff formal robes befitting of the event from which they’d come. It suited him, she decided. She blushed, feeling her cheeks grow hot, whether that was from the kind words or the alcohol, _there had been so much alcohol,_ she couldn’t tell.

“You didn’t look too bad yourself, blue suits you”

It did, the material, a colour she could liken to lapis lazuli warmed his complexion, complemented his natural colouring, so very different to the layers of bright patterns over monochrome she normally  saw him in. If she was looking for saving graces, she could at least say the both of them had looked stunning.

“I told you to stop trying to be kind”

“Take the compliment, I like you in blue” it was a sign of how bereft the evening had left him, ordinarily he would have been head over heels at any compliment aimed in his direction by her.

“Then I shall strive to wear it more often, if for nothing else than for the delight of my beloved Nanao-chan”

Now that was more like it. The comment was far from his usual standards but right now she’d take what she was given. Her attention turned briefly to the hunched figure sprawling out across her couch, leaving little room for her to sit back down. That was alright though, judging by the last few minutes, they could both stand to be a little closer. Nanao knew she wasn’t going to say no to wrapping herself up in his arms again until the wine left her head and the sheer exhaustion of the evening was nothing more than a distant memory. She suspected Shunsui needed that more than she did.   

The kettle boiled with a shriek, wafting steam around the small living area of the lieutenant’s quarters, misting up the windows.  she poured fetching the two cups to the table, sitting back down allowing him to trail an arm across her holding her tight. She sipped at the liquid the boiling liquid, the bitter taste soothing her churning stomach.

“If one good thing has come out of this, it’s that I now know I don’t show you off enough. We need to dress up and go out, do you like dancing? We could go dancing?” He picked up his own cup, not mentioning the lack of alcohol and took a sip

“You don’t have to do that”

The words came out, self-depreciating, more as if she lacked confidence rather than disliked the idea. He pushed on, going from hinting to nigh on insistent.

“Of course, I do.  I want the world to see just how lovely you are, all dressed up like this”

She shuddered inwardly, not wanting to entertain the idea of all eyes on her unless she had to, trying to ignore the eagerness written all over his face or hurt his feelings. He meant well, he always did and seeing as he’d been prepared to endure an evening with his family, maybe she could let him have this one. One date where they were centre of attention wouldn’t kill her, if it meant something good for him came out of this.

“Your sister in law had style”

Now that wasn’t’ an approximation of the truth. The older woman had exuded an understated glamour, a perfect foil to her husband, so much more reserved than his younger brother, well-spoken and measured as one would expect a person of his status to be however, sneering, lacking in the wit and social presence Shunsui exuded.

“Still not as enchanting as Nanao-chan though”

She looked down at her lap, smiling. Some things never changed and this was one of them. Perhaps she should appreciate it more, she thought. At least he was willing to show how much he liked her. There had been very little of that during dinner; no compliments or little acts of affection that one would expect between couples. The brother had remianed bland and stoic, as had her love's parents. Starched and formal to a fault. What few there were had come from them and had been met with an air of discomfort, suggesting it wasn't the done thing. Shunsui had paid it no mind, however, he'd remained steadfastly himself and ignored the air of disdain; something, Nano realised now that she thought on it, she felt strangely proud of him for. 

“You’re very different to your brother, you know”

Shunsui mulled the observation over glancing around the room, line of sight dipping from the picture above the bed, to the bookcase, to the floor and back again, considering the words before his expression warmed and his eyes brightened, much to Nanao’s delight.

“He has the weight of the world on his shoulders my brother”

The words came with just a hint of forlornness, almost as if he didn’t envy the man who now had to lead his family. Not that Nanao could blame him, a Noble estate took up more time than a single division even if it lacked the dangers of Gotei 13 service. Neither were enviable positions, but at least this way her love was away from the expectations the family seemed to place on him. It was kinder on him, he could be his own man without the interference of family. His brother would never have that, not now anyway. 

“Well he is clan head now”

“Nah, he was like that as a child too. Always so serious”

“And you weren’t?”

“No, the opposite in fact”

The answer came as no surprise. Nanao doubted his usual pleasure seeking antics had developed once he’d reached adulthood. He would have been a mischevious child, she decided the kind of person who’d go against the grain of a family so serious and steeped in duty. For the first time she wondered how that might have been for him, and, not exactly enamoured with the answers she dound, rested his head against his shoulder. It would have been lonely, to be the one to

Her eyes closed, Nanao the epitome of satisfied and her body shifted close to him, seeking his warmth, his steadiness, wanting to show how much she loved the man he’d become. He was more than his upbringing, tonight had proved that more than anything else.

“I’m glad”

She thought she felt him straighten up at that. Not an uncomfortable kind of bolt, more of a ‘you have my attention now’ steer in her direction. Nanao didn’t move a muscle, but sensed his eyes crack open, scrutinising her as if he couldn’t quite believe she’d truly prefer someone like him over someone who took life more seriously.  

“Now that’s quite the compliment, Nanao-chan”

“It’s the truth."

He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the soft scent of her hair and just like that that they felt more like themselves again.  There was no talk of pity or kindness anymore, just the two of them curled up and calm, having weathered the storm and come out the other side.  Maybe they’d go through all this again, maybe they wouldn’t. Whatever happened, they would face it together and Nanao couldn’t be prouder of the man he was.

“I love you, you know”

“I love you to”

His voice rumbled in his chest, stating the obvious and buzzing against Nanao’s body as if surrounding her. There was nothing more to say and the two of them ended of the evening, wrapped up in each other letting the tea go cold.


End file.
